Lydia Mae Vann, citizen of the Cherokee Nation, was born in August 1986 to Cecil and Sherrie Vann in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She is the great-granddaughter of Lydia Crittenden Vann, who was a member of the Nighthawk Society, later becoming a charter member of the Illinois River Church, and was allotted land on the Illinois. Vann, along with her sister, retains a parcel of river front land from that original allotment.

She has lived in Oaks, Oklahoma, her entire life, where she attended school at Oaks Mission Schools. She attended college at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where she received her bachelor’s degree in 2009. She went on to be a certified public librarian for nearly 10 years until deciding to become her mother’s full time caregiver. Lydia attended a basket weaving class taught by Cherokee National Treasure Lena Stick in July 2023, where she fell in love with basket weaving. She then attended a class taught by Cherokee National Treasure Anna Sixkiller in May 2024.

What started as a casual hobby turned into a passion. Lydia dyes her own reed, experimenting with natural dyes like coffee, tea, and various fruits and vegetables, and mixing commercial dyes to make unique colors. She has also incorporated cotton embroidery thread, acrylic yarn, and natural fiber jute into her baskets. She enjoys weaving traditionally shaped baskets and creating uniquely shaped baskets. Some of those unique creations include mushrooms, strawberries, jack-o’-lanterns, snowmen, Easter eggs, holiday ornaments, and two nightlight mushrooms, lit with string lights woven into the mushroom top.

Basket weaving has become a very meaningful and, on some level, spiritual activity for Lydia. After her mother’s passing in March 2024, she stopped weaving for a time. Her family, especially her father, encouraged her to continue weaving. She found that weaving gave her a quiet time to reflect on good memories and get back in touch with God. All her baskets have woven into them happy memories, some sad, and even some literal blood, sweat, and tears. She placed second in the Miniatures category (for “Gathering Flowers”) at the 54th annual Trail of Tears Art Show in 2025. She plans to continue weaving baskets for as long as her hands will allow.